H. M. Cushman

H. M. Cushman is an Assistant Professor in the Department of English and Comparative Literature at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Their research focuses on late medieval English literature and culture, with expertise spanning British literature from the 8th to 18th centuries, drama history, digital humanities, disability studies, and medieval studies. They hold a PhD in English from Harvard University and a BA with Highest Honors in English and Classics from the University of Virginia.

Cushman's research explores knowledge production in medieval drama and the ethics of literary influence. Their current projects include a book on mystery plays as sites of epistemological debate (Producing Knowledge in the Middle English Mystery Plays) and a study of scandal in medieval literary culture (Ghostly Manslaughter: Scandal and Medieval Literary Culture). A new project examines medieval literature's reception in Darwinian evolutionary theory.

Their publications demonstrate interdisciplinary approaches to medieval texts, combining literary analysis with sensory studies, material culture, performance theory, and the history of science. Recent work explores Chaucer's narrative techniques, embodied knowledge in mystery plays, and medieval concepts of perception.

Scientific Awards & Honors:

• Weldon E. Thornton Distinguished Teaching Award (2024)
• Susan J. Ridyard Prize for best conference paper (2025)
• Institute for the Arts and Humanities grants (2022-2023)
• Mellon/ACLS Dissertation Completion Fellowship (2017-18)
• Schallek Award and Donald Howard Scholarship (2016)

Cushman coordinates the Colloquium on Premodern Literature and Culture, mentoring graduate students including Krista Telford (PhD candidate). They have received multiple teaching awards including the Graduate Mentorship Award (2021) and four Harvard Derek Bok Center teaching certificates.